Cord-tension alarm for grain-binders



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. M. H. 8: N. M. BRINKERHOFP.

. 00m) TENSION ALARM FOR GRAIN BINDERS.

No. 396152 Patented Jan. 15, 1889.

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M. H. &N. MBRINKBRHOPF.

00m) TENSION ALARM FOR GRAIN BINDERS. A No. 396,191. Patented Jan. 15, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILFORD H. BRINKERHOFF, OF UPPER SANDUSKY, AND NELSON M. BRINKERHOFF, OF MELMORE, OHIO.

CORD-TENSION ALARM FOR GRAIN-BINDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,191, dated January 15, 1889.

I Application filed June 12, 1888. Serial No. 276,851. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MILFORD H. BRINKER- HOFF, of Upper Sandusky, and NELSON M. BRINKERHOFF, of Melmore, in the State of Ohio, citizens of the United States, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Cord-Tension Alarm for Grain-Binders; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in alarm and tension devices for harvesters; and it has for its object to provide a cheap and simple means to be used on twine-binding harvesters at any suitable point between the twine box or holder and the binding mechanism to receive the twine and prevent slack therein and to give an alarm to the attendant when a break occurs in any part of the binding-twine.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of our improved tension and alarm device ready to be applied to any twine-binding harvester without altering the construction of the latter in any manner whatever. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same, and Fi 3 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken in the plane indicated by dotted line a: as of Fig. 1.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, A indicates the plate or main frame, which is provided with a suitable number of apertures whereby the same may be attached to a harvester at any convenient point between the twine box or holder and the binding mechanism. This base-plate is provided at one end with an aperture to receive a post or screw, B, around which is a bush, and encircling the bush is a coil of spring, 0. This post or screw B is headed and confines upon thebush and spring thereon a tension device, which is composed of a rigid arm, D, having an eye at one end to receive the said screw or post, as shown. This arm D is also provided on its inner side with a perforation or means of receiving one end of the coil-spring O, the opposite end of the said spring being secured to the baseplate, so that the said arm may be held under tension when in operation. This arm D has rigidly secured to it near its pivoted end a plate, E, the outer end of which is free and has loosely secured between it and the adjacent end of the arm D, by a stud, d, on the latter, a jaw, F, which is beveled and flares outwardly and corresponds in contour to the jaw G, formed on the free end of the arm D. The arm D is also provided in addition to the pivot-stud cl with a stud or lug, cl, (better shown in Fig. 4,) whereby the jaw F may be kept sufficiently separated from the said arm. The loose jaw F, which, together with the jaw G, receives the binding-cord in its way from the holder to the binding mechanism of the harvester, is provided with an eye, a, which is internally threaded and coincides with an eye, b, in the jaw G to receive a tightening-screw, H. This screw will also serve to prevent the jaw F from swinging 011 its pivot-stud D, so as to become laterally displaced. It will thus be seen that by manipulating this screw H the space between the jaws may be regulated, and the tension is thereby adjusted upon the binding-cord, the said jaw F being held off a suflicient distance at its inner end from the fixed jaw by means of the lugs (Z, formed on the arm D.

I is a guide-loop, which crosses the flaring part of the jaws, so as to retain the cord between the latter. This guide-loop is preferably formed of a piece of stout wire bent in J shape, with its short branch fixed to the outer side of the jaw G and its longer branch crossing the beveled or flaring portion of the respective jaws. At the opposite end of the base or attaching-face is a vertically-elongated loop, K, between which the tension device travels and is guided and stopped thereby. On this loop is fixed a post, J, to the upper end ofwhich is secured a gong, L, which is designed to come above the tensiondevice, as shown.

M indicates the hammer of the bell, which is secured on the outer end of a plate, P, which has its fulcrum on the post B, which is surrounded by the coil-spring O. This plate is provided with depending branches 2 on opposite sides thereof, so that while it must move with the said arm yet it will be allowed a limited play thereon.

By the construction of the jaws it will be seen that knots may pass without injury or causing a break in the twine, as when the jaws have been drawn back on the pivot of the arm D the knot will ride over the beveled portion of the jaws. This of course will allow the said arm to throw forwardly hen relieved and thereby sound the gong.

In operation the twine is passed partly between the clamping-jaws F and G, when the arm D will be held yielding-1y or under the action of the spring C, while the cord remains intact; but should a break occur in the twine the arm will be returned by the action of the spring, and the hammer carried with the said arm will strike the gong to notify the attendant that a break has occurred in the bindingtwine.

It should be observed that, as well as giving the alarm, the device also serves as an efficient tension and take-up for the twine.

Having described our invention, what we claim is- 1. The combination, with the attachingplate having a loop, as described, and a gong arranged thereon, of a pivoted arm having clamping-jaws at its outer end and connected with the plate at its opposite end by means of a spring, and a pivoted hammer mounted on but moving with the pivoted arm and having a limited play thereon, substantially as specified.

2. The comlnnation, with the attachingplate having a loop, as described, of a gong arranged thereon, a pivoted arm having adjustable clamping-jaws at one end and pivoted on the plate at the other end and playing in the loop, and a spring connecting the arm with the plate, and a pivoted hammer for the gong mounted on the same pivot as the arm and moved by the said arm,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we atlix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

MILFORD ll. l'Bl LINKERIIOFF. NELSON M. BRINKERHOFF. Witnesses:

Ronnnr A. MQELHENNY, A. E. \VAL'ION. 

